Cheddar Cream Soup with Soft Pretzels

This recipe is a new one for us at our home this winter but we really love it!  If you're apprehensive about making a cheese soup, don't be.  This soup is not your typical thick, cheese fondue kind of soup, not that that's a bad thing!  You know how we like our fondue around here.  The addition of a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper gives it a little heat, perfect for these last cold winter days.

I had never attempted to make pretzels before, but using Alton Brown's recipe was simple and easy to follow.  This winter I've also come to love making my own fresh bread, rolls, and buns.  I used to be intimidated by yeast, but no more of that nonsense!  Now I can bake bread like I'm Ma Ingalls or something.  You know, this lady.

Image found via http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/blog

Did anyone else watch this show religiously or was it just me and my sisters?

Here is the recipe for the soup.  I hope you try it!  Please let me know if you do!

Cheddar Cream Soup*

serves: 6  total time:  40 minutes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup flour

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups half and half (or whole milk, if you so choose)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

12 ounces sharp Cheddar Cheese (you may use yellow or white)

Salt, to taste

Optional:  green onions or chives, to garnish

Heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  When hot, add the onion and saute' until softened.  Add the garlic and saute' for one minute more.  Sprinkle flour on top of the onion, butter mixture and stir for two minutes.  Whisk in the chicken stock and half and half and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add the cayenne pepper and wine until well incorporated.  A little at a time, add the cheese into the soup and after each addition, stir until smooth.  Taste soup and season with salt, if needed.  The cheese may make it salty enough.  

Serve hot and garnish with green onions or chives.

*This recipe was adapted from Sunday Soup by Betty Rosbottom

Cream of Broccoli Soup

We love Martha's recipe for cream of broccoli soup.  Throw in some shredded cheddar cheese and it is an amazing little bowl of soup.

We had a little bruschetta with our soup and it made for a pretty good meal.  Rubbing a clove of garlic over the pieces of toast is the trick to making them taste extra special, or so those cooking show people say.

I topped half of those little toasts with some Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and basil.

The other half got some leftover caramelized onions, kalamata olives, Parmesan, and rosemary.


Winter, you're really not so bad as long as there is soup.

Rustic Italian Ravioli Soup

Hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  We spent our time hiking a local park, trying in vain to hunt down some bittersweet sprays from local nurseries and florist shops, eating good food, and watching football.  It was a great weekend and like always, it went too fast!

I made this soup for the first time a couple of days ago.  Jason and the boys really liked it, "green things" and all!  I thought I would share it with you!  The recipe is adapted from Almost Homemade by Taste of Home, the edition was on shelves until August 2011.  It was originally called Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup.  Since we're more ravioli people in this house, I substituted ravioli for the tortellini.  Here is the original recipe.

Here is what you will need, according to my version!

Rustic Italian Ravioli Soup

3 Italian sausage links, casings removed (about 12 oz total)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz beef broth
1-3/4 cups water
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package frozen ravioli (about 9-10 oz)
1 package (6 oz) fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon minced rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

Remove sausage from the casings.  Chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Or, if you're like me, you'll coarsely chop the garlic.  I love biting into big bits of garlic!

Cook the sausage and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the meat is cooked and the onion is tender.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the broth, water, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil. 

Don't forget to scrape up those lovely bits on the bottom of your pan!

Add the frozen ravioli, spinach, herbs, and pepper.  Cook until the spinach is wilted slightly and the ravioli is tender.  Aren't those colors so pretty?

I am going to miss cooking with fresh herbs from my garden!  Unfortunately, my green thumb does not extend into my house.  I've killed more herbs in my kitchen than I would like to admit...

I served this soup with some homemade garlic Parmesan cheese bread.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


Enjoy!

Happy Monday, all!  I hope you are having a great day!

Window Box Lettuce

My husband is making me window boxes.  We'll have two in the front of the house and one in the back.  I planted flowers in the liners a couple of weeks ago already so that the flowers wouldn't be delayed.  In my back window box, I planted lettuce.  Weird, I know.  But for some reason I needed to grow pretty and delicious lettuce in that window box.  And do you want to know what is really great?  I can open up my kitchen window and cut myself some lettuce any old time I want to.  (When those window boxes are done, that is).

Here is what I have planted in there:

I snipped off what I needed for dinner,

washed it in very cold water, drained it, and

made some dressing.

I went to the my herb garden and picked three different types of basil.  The purple basil is called "Basil Red Rubin" and the smaller kind on the bottom is from a "Basil Minette" plant. 

I sliced them up real nice.

I also picked two different types of mint:  lemon mint and plain, old ordinary mint.

I sliced them up as well.

I added my herbs to the salad along with some blue cheese.  I drizzled my dressing on top and

voila!  Salad, anyone?

Here is my "recipe" for the dressing.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)

a pinch of sugar (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk in a bowl or shake in a jar the above ingredients.  Pour over salad and toss to coat just before serving.